The Democratic Party announced plans to hold a policy meeting on the Criminal Procedure Law reform tomorrow to gather expert opinions.
Kim Sung-hwa, the party's floor spokesperson, spoke to reporters after a general assembly at the National Assembly, stating, "We will listen to opinions on how to supplement the request for additional investigations." He also mentioned that the policy meeting will be broadcast live on the party's YouTube channel, 'Deli Minju.'
However, Kim did not provide a timeline for processing the Criminal Procedure Law amendment, asserting, "There was no specific mention of a timeline. The party convention and the bill amendment are unrelated."
Previously, Kim Han-kyu, the party's deputy floor leader, publicly stated on July 6 that there are no plans to address the Criminal Procedure Law amendment after the party convention.
Currently, there are differing opinions within the ruling coalition regarding the Criminal Procedure Law amendment. Proposals have been submitted to the Legislative Judiciary Committee, including joint proposals from Democratic Party member Kim Yong-min and Justice Party member Park Eun-jung, as well as a proposal from Justice Party member Cha Kyu-geun and a proposal from Democratic Party member Hong Gi-won.
Notably, the Democratic Party's Criminal Procedure Law Task Force includes Kim Han-kyu, along with committee members Kim Seung-won and Lee Hae-sik, and Policy Committee Vice Chair Park Sang-hyuk. The proposal aims to replace the request for additional investigations with a request for supplementary investigations.
However, some Democratic Party members, including Hong, argue that certain exceptional cases, such as sexual violence and child or elder abuse, should retain the request for additional investigations to protect victims.
Meanwhile, the Criminal Procedure Law amendment could impact the newly established Serious Crimes Investigation Agency and Prosecution Service, set to launch in October. The Justice Party has argued that the amendment should be processed before the Constitution Day, but this has not materialized.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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